Yue (Nikki) Yao
Nikki Yao is a graduate student in the Master of Arts Administration program at Boston University. She has professional experience in creative strategy, curation, and cultural project management. Before coming to BU, she worked in the creative industries, leading initiatives to support young artists, and later transitioned into the traditional arts sector with curatorial and gallery projects.
Her academic and professional network includes strong collaborations with leading art schools and practicing artists. She continues to build cross-disciplinary connections between academic research and curatorial practice.
At BU, Nikki focuses on nonprofit management, fundraising, and cross-cultural collaboration. Alongside her studies, she remains active in curatorial work and is developing an entrepreneurial project in IP incubation that links branding, design, and cultural partnerships. Her long-term goal is to create sustainable support systems for emerging artists and foster global artistic exchange.
The Arts Administration program at BU has given me the chance to bridge my background in creative industries with new knowledge in nonprofit management and cultural leadership. I especially value the program’s balance of theory and practice—it allows me to apply classroom learning directly to curatorial work and entrepreneurial projects. This experience is helping me grow not only as an arts professional but also as someone committed to building sustainable support systems for emerging artists.